Chapter 8
The hatchway hissed open, and Beksa walked down the ramp. At the bottom, she met the man she had talked to. Arnold J Rimmer. She looked him up and down, and looked him straight in the eye. She didn't know why she felt this, but she saw Rimmer as something else. She knew that he and Ace were identical, but somehow, this Rimmer seemed different. She stuck her hand out for him to shake. "Beksa Riley, Engineer - 1st Class, and you?" She smiled at him, and he smiled stiffly back. "Arnold J Rimmer, J for Jonathon, BsC SsC, acting captain of this vessel, may I show you around?" Rimmer took her arm, signalled to Lister and Krissie to grab her bags, and strode out of the door with Beksa.
Lister and Krissie looked at them, Lister couldn't stop smirking at what Rimmer had said to her. "She's gonna get a pleasant surprise when she finds out the truth. A very big surprise." Lister said, and he picked up the bag. Krissie stood and smiled. "Well I think they are going to get along fine. I looked at her record. She worked with Ace Rimmer, I think she'll take a liking to him." She grinned, and followed Lister out of the room.
Beksa walked around Starbug, listening to everything that Rimmer said. She was thinking through her options for the future. She couldn't stay here for long, if Ace was going to follow her, she couldn't lead him here. Especially if this Rimmer didn't like his counterpart in her universe. She listened to his voice, and smiled. He looked down at her, and grinned again. She liked this guy; she liked this guy a lot more than Ace!
After the tour of Starbug, Rimmer took her into his quarters. She sat down at the table and looked around. Rimmer sat down on his bunk, and busied himself with tidying the space around him. After a while, he looked up at her. She was looking at him with her head on one side. Rimmer coughed slightly and she looked away. Rimmer decided that this was a good time to make conversation. "So," Rimmer stuttered "Erm, why did you come to Red Dwarf?" He wanted to know why she was in such a bad mood when she'd arrived. Beksa's head drooped, and she stood up. She sat down again next to Rimmer, and sighed. "It's a long story. I'll explain it the best I can. I joined the Space Corps and was stationed on Io. I met this guy called Ace Rimmer. I had heard lots of good things about him, and wanted to meet him. But when I did, I regretted it. He followed me around, he even took advantage of me, and so I had to leave. I tried to get him court-martialled, but when I was in court he said all sorts of shit about me, so I ran, took his ship, and left Io. The Space Corps are probably combing the known galaxy looking for me. That's why I don't want to stay here long. I don't want to get your ship in trouble for hiding me. So I'm going in a few days," She wiped a tear from her eye, and dropped her head in her hands.
Rimmer was shocked at this. He thought that Ace would never do such a thing. Ok, Ace was a bit mad when it came to women, but he's a guy, he couldn't help it. He put an arm around Beksa, expecting her to wriggle away, but she rested her head on his arm, and sobbed a little.
"You don't have to leave, we can help you," Rimmer said suddenly. Beksa looked at him, and shook her head. "I can't do that. If the Corps find me, then you will get in trouble for hiding me. I'm on the run, I gotta keep moving." "Please, stay. I like you; you're a cool person. And we need another lady round here, mainly to keep Kris happy, spending 5 years with a bunch of guys surely can't be good for her. We wont be like Ace, promise!" He grinned at her. "Ok, I'll stay, but if the Corps come, I'm off,"
The hatchway hissed open, and Beksa walked down the ramp. At the bottom, she met the man she had talked to. Arnold J Rimmer. She looked him up and down, and looked him straight in the eye. She didn't know why she felt this, but she saw Rimmer as something else. She knew that he and Ace were identical, but somehow, this Rimmer seemed different. She stuck her hand out for him to shake. "Beksa Riley, Engineer - 1st Class, and you?" She smiled at him, and he smiled stiffly back. "Arnold J Rimmer, J for Jonathon, BsC SsC, acting captain of this vessel, may I show you around?" Rimmer took her arm, signalled to Lister and Krissie to grab her bags, and strode out of the door with Beksa.
Lister and Krissie looked at them, Lister couldn't stop smirking at what Rimmer had said to her. "She's gonna get a pleasant surprise when she finds out the truth. A very big surprise." Lister said, and he picked up the bag. Krissie stood and smiled. "Well I think they are going to get along fine. I looked at her record. She worked with Ace Rimmer, I think she'll take a liking to him." She grinned, and followed Lister out of the room.
Beksa walked around Starbug, listening to everything that Rimmer said. She was thinking through her options for the future. She couldn't stay here for long, if Ace was going to follow her, she couldn't lead him here. Especially if this Rimmer didn't like his counterpart in her universe. She listened to his voice, and smiled. He looked down at her, and grinned again. She liked this guy; she liked this guy a lot more than Ace!
After the tour of Starbug, Rimmer took her into his quarters. She sat down at the table and looked around. Rimmer sat down on his bunk, and busied himself with tidying the space around him. After a while, he looked up at her. She was looking at him with her head on one side. Rimmer coughed slightly and she looked away. Rimmer decided that this was a good time to make conversation. "So," Rimmer stuttered "Erm, why did you come to Red Dwarf?" He wanted to know why she was in such a bad mood when she'd arrived. Beksa's head drooped, and she stood up. She sat down again next to Rimmer, and sighed. "It's a long story. I'll explain it the best I can. I joined the Space Corps and was stationed on Io. I met this guy called Ace Rimmer. I had heard lots of good things about him, and wanted to meet him. But when I did, I regretted it. He followed me around, he even took advantage of me, and so I had to leave. I tried to get him court-martialled, but when I was in court he said all sorts of shit about me, so I ran, took his ship, and left Io. The Space Corps are probably combing the known galaxy looking for me. That's why I don't want to stay here long. I don't want to get your ship in trouble for hiding me. So I'm going in a few days," She wiped a tear from her eye, and dropped her head in her hands.
Rimmer was shocked at this. He thought that Ace would never do such a thing. Ok, Ace was a bit mad when it came to women, but he's a guy, he couldn't help it. He put an arm around Beksa, expecting her to wriggle away, but she rested her head on his arm, and sobbed a little.
"You don't have to leave, we can help you," Rimmer said suddenly. Beksa looked at him, and shook her head. "I can't do that. If the Corps find me, then you will get in trouble for hiding me. I'm on the run, I gotta keep moving." "Please, stay. I like you; you're a cool person. And we need another lady round here, mainly to keep Kris happy, spending 5 years with a bunch of guys surely can't be good for her. We wont be like Ace, promise!" He grinned at her. "Ok, I'll stay, but if the Corps come, I'm off,"